Coin holder and counter



P. W. SMITH.

COIN HOLDER AND COUNTER. Noi 504,504. I Patented'Sept. 5., 1893.

' of coin on hand.

UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

FRANK WV. SMITH, OF SUNBURY, PENNSYLVANIA.

COIN HOLDER AND COUNTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 504,504, dated September 5, 1893.

Application filed January 6, 1893.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK W. SMITH, a citizen ot' theUnited States, residing at Sunbury, in the county of Northumberlandand State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Change-Holders and Coin-Counters, of which the following is a specification.

-My invention relates to an improved change holder and coin counter.

The objects of my invention are to provide a device which will hold coins of various denominations in positions which are most convenient and accessible to the person making change, to provide for the automatic feeding of successive coins to take the places of those which are withdrawn and to provide means for determining at any time the total amount In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of one form of my invention. Fig.2 is a cross section on theline 2-2 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 shows the invention applied to a money-drawer in a counter or desk.

As shown in Fig. 1 the invention consists in a board A having a series of longitudinal grooves a, a, a &c. These grooves are of various widths and depths according to the size of the coins for which they are intended.

In the drawings the device is shown arranged to hold United States coins of the different denominations from one cent to one dollar. The grooves are made slightly wider than the thickness of the coins so that the latter may move freely when the board is inclined, and they are of such depth that a considerable portion of the coin will project above the groove so that it may be readily taken hold of. The groove a is intended for cents and the groove a is made twice as wide as the groove a so that it will hold two cents abreast of each other. It will thus be obvious that change of any amount less than two dollars can be made by selecting the proper coins from those standing at the lower or left hand end of the board. In order to make the coins feed automatically toward one end of the board to take the places of those that are removed I incline the board by raising the opposite end either permanently or temporarily. As shown there is a folding leg or bracket B hinged to the board for this pur- Serial No. 157,508- (No model.)

pose. A vertical back piece 0 is sometimes added having a line 0 on which bills may be hung and hooks c to receive checks and other papers.

Beginning at the lower end of the board I mark on the ribs between the grooves figures equal to the sums of the coins, that is the figure opposite each coin space represents the sum of all the coins from the left or lower end of the-board up to and including that space. In this way the total amount of coin on the board can be determined in a moment by adding the figures opposite the last coin in each row.

One great advantage of my invention over various other forms of coin counters in which the coins are measured by their thickness is that in mine the coins are measured by their diameter. In thickness the coins vary greatly according to the amount of wear to which they have been subjected, while their diameter never varies. The amount of coin therefore as indicated by my invention is always accurate and can be absolutely. depended upon.

My invention may be embodied in other forms. Thus in Fig. 3 I have shown it as forming the bottom of a money drawer D in a counter or desk, the back board Oof course being omitted. It is also adapted to hold circular checks or tokens such as are used in restaurants.

The operation of my device is very simple and will be obvious from the foregoing description. It is particularly useful for railway ticket-offices, banks, stores and other places where change has to be made rapidly,

and where it is desirable to check up the amount of cash on hand often.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a change holder and coin counter the board or drawer having narrow grooves of different widths adapted to receive and hold on l0 described.

3. In a change holder and coin counter the board or drawer having narrow grooves of different Widths adapted to receive and hold on edge coins or tokens of various denominations, each of the grooves being slightly wider than the thickness of the coins for which it is adapted, said grooves being separated by ribs having the sums of various numbers of coins marked thereon, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

FRANK W. SMITH.

Witnesses:

MELVIN J. KEEFER, EDWARD G. KLINE. 

